The U.S. Department of Labor issued states and territories a summary of unemployment insurance benefit expansions included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 on Thursday.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donal Trump on March 27, provides emergency assistance and health care-related responses to the ongoing pandemic as it impacts individuals, families and businesses.

The agency stated as part of its summary that the additional aid will be offered within the fundamental eligibility requirements that previously governed state unemployment insurance programs, except that benefits are being extended to self-employed independent contractors and gig-economy workers who no longer are working are due to COVID-19 related issues.

It also provides additional support to both those types of workers and others who worked for traditional employers and either were furloughed or laid off as those businesses reduced their activities or closed.

Benefits summarized

Through the act’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, eligible applicants can obtain up to 39 weeks of benefits for unemployment that began on or after March 30 (in Oklahoma) and ends on or before Dec. 31.

Qualified applicants include regular idled employees, as well as idled self-employed persons or part-time workers that have seen hour reductions (provided certain income guidelines are met).

The act required that representatives of each state and territory participating in the program to sign an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Oklahoma officials signed the agreement between the state and federal agency last week, with an effective date of March 30.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program also provides an additional $600 a week to unemployment insurance claimants receiving assistance from the agency between March 30 and July 31.

State officials stressed Friday that its online application system, unemployment.ok.gov, is not yet ready to handle claims from self-employed workers.

Plus, the additional funds needed to provide the extended and expanded assistance authorized by the act also have not yet arrived and won’t be available for disbursement until they do.

State officials said earlier this week they expect the additional dollars to arrive in mid-April and expect to have the online system retooled by then.

Meanwhile, state officials noted Friday that an executive order signed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt waived weekly work-search requirements claimants normally have to perform to continue to receive weekly benefits. When filing for continued benefits online, claimants are advised to answer yes when they are asked if they had looked for work during the past week.

Stitt’s executive order also waived a mandatory one-week waiting period before benefits begin, once a claimant is approved.

The memorandum released by the Labor Department was followed Friday by one from its Bureau of Labor Statistics that showed unemployment nationally for March increased to 4.4%.

Eugene Scalia, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, stated March’s data shows the initial impact the coronavirus exerted on the nation’s economy.

“We know that our report next month will show more extensive job losses, based on the high number of state unemployment claims reported yesterday and the week before,” Scalia said.

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“America’s workers and their families are making purposeful sacrifices to help save lives,” he said. “The Trump Administration is taking thoughtful and deliberative actions to support workers and their families while they meet the challenges of this unprecedented health crisis.”

Jack Money

Jack Money has worked for The Oklahoman for more than 20 years. During that time, he has worked for the paper’s city, state, metro and business news desks, including serving for a while as an assistant city editor. Money has won state and regional...
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